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Do it Best Group recently announced CEO Dan Starr will be the featured keynote speaker at the 12th Global DIY-Summit, taking place June 16-18 at RAI Amsterdam in the Netherlands.
The Global DIY-Summit is widely recognized as a leading international gathering for senior executives across the DIY, home improvement, and garden industry. The 2026 Summit theme, Accelerating in a New Global Reality: Building Collective Awareness for a Fast-Changing World, emphasizes digital transformation, consumer behavior shifts and the strategic actions leaders can take to accelerate growth and resilience.
Starr’s keynote session, “Reinventing a Legacy Brand for the Next Generation,” will focus on how home improvement leaders can strengthen brand relevance with Millennials and Gen Z by combining modern consumer insight, digital precision and a test-and-learn approach in ways that are scalable across markets and business sizes.
“It’s an honor to be invited to the Global DIY-Summit and to engage with so many global leaders who are navigating the same challenges and opportunities we all face,” says Starr. “Legacy brands can’t rely on history alone. The next generation of customers expects clarity, relevance and confidence, all delivered through modern tools and authentic experiences. I’m looking forward to sharing what we’ve learned, comparing notes with peers from around the world and bringing back ideas that strengthen independent retailers everywhere.”
Starr will highlight the Do it Best Group’s perspective on modern brand building, including how to translate customer insights into sharper positioning, how to concentrate investment for outsized impact and how to use digital platforms to learn faster and adapt. The session will also preview how True Value is being reintroduced to a new audience through a phased approach, starting with awareness and relevance, then evolving toward more direct conversion and sales-driving initiatives over time.
Hardware Retailing spoke with Starr to about the upcoming talk, his research and Do it Best’s approach to reaching the next generation.
Hardware Retailing (HR): Has Do it Best been featured at the Global DIY Summit before, or is this the first time?
Starr: This is the first time I’ve attended. I’m looking at it as a great opportunity to represent independent retailers on a global stage and to learn from peers who are facing the similar generational shifts we are.
HR: What’s the most surprising thing your research has revealed about how younger generations approach home improvement?
Starr: The stereotype is that younger shoppers don’t want help or don’t want to talk to anyone. What we’ve learned is it’s really about confidence. They’re incredibly information-driven. They do a lot of homework before they ever walk into a store, and they want clear answers and a path forward so they can make the right choice.
HR: What tools have been most effective for Do it Best in reaching a younger audience?
Starr: The biggest difference has come from combining good insight with precision. We start with research and loyalty data so we’re not guessing, then we use modern digital channels to show up in the places people actually make decisions today, like video and streaming, search and social. And the other piece is having a strong digital experience behind it, so when people lean in, it’s easy for them to keep going.
HR: What do you hope to learn from other global leaders at the Summit that you can bring back to Do it Best?
Starr: I’m excited to see what other leaders are doing that’s practical and repeatable. What are they doing in stores that improves the customer experience without adding a lot of complexity? How are they connecting digital discovery to in-store fulfillment and service? And how are they building trust with the next generation while staying true to what makes their brand matter locally? If I come home with a handful of ideas we can apply quickly, that’s a win.
